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March Madness goes beyond the NCAA Tournament, and the NIT is back to give more teams a shot at postseason basketball.
The 32-team event has long been a key part of the college hoops calendar, and this year it will unfold alongside the NCAA’s Final Four, adding even more action to one of the sport’s biggest weekends.
Not every team will hear its name called for the NCAA Tournament, but plenty will still have a postseason path through the NIT. Schools like Belmont, Liberty, UNC Wilmington, Navy, South Alabama and Stephen F. Austin have already locked up bids, with the rest of the field set to be announced Sunday.
The full bracket reveal is almost here.
Here’s everything you need to know about the NIT selection show, including how to watch the bracket announcement on TV and via live stream.
When is the NIT selection show 2026?
- Date: Sunday, March 15
- Time: 7 p.m. ET (approx.)
Selection Sunday isn’t just about the NCAA Tournament. The NIT selection show will also air March 15, with the full field revealed after the March Madness bracket announcement later that day.
How to watch the NIT basketball 2026 bracket reveal
College basketball fans can tune into the NIT basketball bracket reveal live on ESPN2. Coverage will begin after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament selection show.
NIT bracket selection format
The NIT selection committee created a new process for selecting teams into the tournament. The 32-team, single-elimination style still remains, but there will be different automatic bids.
There will be 16 "exempt" teams in the NIT Tournament. These teams will be the top two teams in the ACC and SEC that did not make the NCAA Tournament and the top team from the top 12 conferences not selected to the NCAA Tournament.
The top 12 conferences are declared by using the Ken Pomeroy rating, and the top teams of those conferences will be determined by BPI, KPI, NET, KenPom, SOR, Torvik ranking and WAB.
Teams can also qualify with an automatic bid if they won the conference's regular season championship but did not make the NCAA Tournament. The one caveat is that these teams need to have an average of 125 or better in the previously listed categories.
All other teams will be selected by the NIT committee.
NIT schedule 2026
| First Round | March 17-18 |
| Second Round | March 21-22 |
| Quarterfinals | March 24-25 |
| Semifinals | April 2 |
| Championship | April 5 |
English (US)